SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-When the owner of Crushcakes temporarily posted her feelings about the presidential election on Instagram, along with a photo of an adult themed cake and suggestive message popular with bachelorette parties, she started receiving upsetting messages.
After seeing some responses Shannon Gaston added a line that said, “Then Crushcakes is not for you.”
Negative emails followed including one that said in part, “We’ve see your stupid post, cowardly of you to delete it.”
Another said in all caps, “THE NAZIS WON!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!” and “Say goodbye to right of LGBT HaHaHaHahA.”
It went on to say “Now it is time for Mandatory Gay Conversion Therapy” and “PROJECT 2025 IS REAL, WE LIED.”
By speaking out Gaston wants people to know, “Everyone is welcome, ” and she hopes to dampen down the divisiveness.
“It is heartbreaking how much hate we have received, how many death threats we have received and that hits home for me, not just for my business, but with my family, we are Jewish, we are Middle Eastern, we are black, we are many, many colors and cultures, we have LGBTQ people in our family and our hearts and our business and it is just heartbreaking thinking about how many people want us dead.”